The People We Meet
by beloved06
Summary: What happens when we cross paths with people we just met. AO pairing. UPDATE: Chapter 4 now up. Rating also went up to be on the safe side.
1. They meet

Sitting on the park bench wondering where her life her career was taking her was one of the things she did often. She often found herself sitting on the hard wooden bench staring into space thinking. Like in her coup on the bench she often found herself head first in a case. Justice for the victims. That's what it's all about. It doesn't matter if each case handed to you sucks you dry, breaks your heart, or leaves you with more than you bargained for.

It was all for the victims. The lives ones, the dead ones, the faceless ones, or simply the ones who have not found the courage to step up and speak of their life changing experience. It's never about you it's about them. She worries when the day is slow. Are there any victims on the slow days? You bet. She worries when they have multiple cases at the same time. Not because they won't be able to find the perp but because how humanity slowly kills itself.

She simply worries for everyone around her. Her friends mostly. The family, her only family, died. The burden and guilt lifted a little the day she got the news of her mother's accident. But it was still there. She carried the burden and guilt of every victim she came across. A constant reminder.

"You're losing it, Benson." She chastised herself. Her thoughts wandering again. Going on overdrive. Processing everything over and over again.

"Do you always speak to yourself? Because if you do0 I might have to agree with you." Came the strong timbre of an unknown voice.

Turning around to see who had interrupted her thoughts she caught sight of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her hair was pale blonde matching with her skin. Her eyes were an ocean blue. They were filled with warmth and something else she couldn't put a name to it. The strangers face was exquisite. High cheek bones, delicate nose, strong jaw. She didn't know if her mouth was open but the woman was beautiful.

She looked up into the tender blue eyes and smiled. "I'm going to have to agree with myself and you on that one as well. I am losing it. She extended a hand to stranger and introduced herself, "Olivia Benson."

The woman gave a small smile and shook the hand, "Alex Cabot."

She eyes the stranger once more. Olivia is still holding her hand. The warmth from the pale thin hands sending pulses to the one of the Detectives.

"Mind if I sit down?", the blonde asks while taking her hand back. She's not offended that the brunette held it longer than usual. She has that affect on everyone. She hides her amusement. The attraction that she feels for the dark figure is immediate.

"No. Not at all." She slowly slides over to accommodate the beautiful stranger.

The blonde seeing Olivia move to the side of the bench sits in the middle. Her firm thigh against jean clad firm thigh. She smiled inwardly when she hears the dark figure intake a sharp breath. She still has that affect on people.

"So...", Olivia says.

The silence between them is comfortable. Taking each other in slowly on the outside but the Detectives mind is racing. In her bench she never thought she would meet such a beautiful woman. The bench is located in on of the 'dirty' sides of the park. The old age showing up on the cracks of the sidewalk. On the worn down trash cans, benches and fences. The trees withered and old. Carvings of old romances on the tree trunks. The grass a mass of brown and mud.

"What do you do for a living?", Alex breaks the silence.

"I'm a detective."

"Interesting occupation. Now I know why you talk to yourself."

A small chuckle escapes Olivia. She tries to hold it back but it's futile attempt. None of this goes unnoticed by the beautiful stranger.

"You should laugh more. You have a pretty smile." She caresses the Detectives cheek with her soft knuckles.

Alex's touch is somewhat comforting to Olivia. She hasn't been touched like that in a while. She hasn't been loved in a while. She doesn't know what it is. She knows the feeling of a warm body. But she doesn't know the feeling of a warm body loving her.

She smiles at the caress and takes Alex's hand in hers. The surprise at how well they fit together isn't lost on the Detective. Alex hides the electricity going through her body and waking her dormant senses.

"You're beautiful."

The blonde blushes.

"You are. You can't tell me you don't know that. Someone would have to be blind no to notice."

The fading red hue comes back. Olivia smiles.

"Thank you."

They sit there once again in comfortable silence. No one says a word. The trees rustle when the autumn wind picks up. The remaining multi-colored leaves fall to the ground. Joining the dead brown ones.

"So...", Alex says.

"Sorry I'm not talkative."

"Is it because you just met me?", inquires the blonde.

"Yes. Maybe." She's unsure.

She's so pretty. Beautiful. Thighs are still presses against each other. Warmth radiating from each body seeps into each other. Keeping them warm in the autumn wind. Even the lonely need someone.

"What do you do?"

"Me?"

"Anyone else here that I should know about." She flashes a bright smile.

Alex simply chuckles. "I don't work yet. Just moved here."

"Ni..." The ringing of a cell phone interrupts. Advanced technology only makes itself present at the worst moments. She looks apologetically at the tender blues.

"Benson."

Another case.

"Ok."

Vague details.

"I'll be there."

Diving board ready? Head first.

"Hey Alex, I have to go. I'll see you around."

She hides her disappointment well. "Sure no problem."

"My bench is always here.", Olivia jokes. Another smile.

"Will you?"

"Cant promise anything."

She let go of the hand she'd been holding the entire time. The emptiness is felt immediately. Getting up to face and make demons of her own. It's always for the victims.

Looking back she smiles. She's never had anyone affect her like this. On impulse she leans down and gives a quick peck on the cheek to the beautiful blonde stranger. She gets a smile back.

Game face on. It's all about the victims now. The people they met. The people we'll meet. The one's we'll put away. It's always about the people we meet.


	2. Interruptions

_Three weeks pass..._

The demons keep her awake. Restlessness is an old friend. The peace is an enemy. Demons taunting her in her sleep. When eye lids close over chocolate brown eyes the pictures, the faces, the stories they are all real. Playing in an endless loop. Sleep won't come tonight. It's morning and the presence of sleep is still unknown.

The bench is empty. Not a surprise. It's an old bench with history. Everything has history. Even her. Her mind travels to the day she met the beautiful stranger, Alex. Does she have history? The images of that day play in a loop like the evils presented to her. The hair, the face, those blue eyes. Mesmerizing.

"You have it bad, Benson."

"I still see that after three weeks you still talk to yourself."

She smiles as she turns around. Acknowledges with a slight nod.

"Consistency. I like that." Alex says taking a seat next to the Detective.

She feels the familiarity already.

"We have to stop meeting like this."

The blonde taps her chin pretending to be in deep in thought. "Ahh. But you are wrong. To meet means frequently. I see it as crossing paths."

Olivia takes the blonde's hand in hers.

"I like crossing paths."

The blonde squeezes the hand holding hers. The electricity is high and raw.

"Me too."

They both sit there hand in hand watching the people walk by. No one notices their joined hands except for them. How strangers can meet and have this connection is not lost to Olivia. It has been a while since she's met someone that makes her heart beat stronger, faster. Alex sits next to her taking her in. It's been a while since she's met someone that makes her melt inside, someone that turns her into a puddle of love.

"Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?" Olivia asks in a low tone.

Alex releases the Detectives hand and runs her fingers through the dark hair. Carefully she leans in and whispers in her ear, "I'd love to."

She feels Alex's breath on her neck it's hot and alluring. Slowly she turns her head and brushes her lips against soft pink lips. Olivia smiles as she looks into deep blue eyes that flutter shut and capture her lips once again. The kiss is invigorating, slow and sensual with many untold promises. Cupping the blondes face, Olivia draws her in closer and deeper.

They both part without breath.

"That was amazing. I've never done that before." Alex says while catching her breath.

Someone from behind clears their throat. "Liv..."

Olivia recognizes the voice and turns around. If he's here it's never a good thing. The smile that was on her face vanishes as she looks at her partners' appearance. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. In fact he hasn't. Wearing the same shirt he had on the day before. His tie loosely tied around his neck. He looks apologetically at her and Alex. He never likes to interrupt.

"Sorry but we got something new on the case. I called your cell and got no answer, as well as your apartment and nothing."

"It's ok, Elliot. Let me just say goodbye."

He looks at Alex and nods. Now he knows what has gotten her attention for the last couple of weeks. The blonde is a beauty. He turns around and heads back to the car.

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I understand, you have a job to do. People aren't going to stop just because we sit here in our own little world."

She smiles at Alex. No one has ever understood the meaning of her job. Everything is for the victims. Standing up she leans forward and gives a quick kiss to Alex and hands her a business card.

"Call me later. We need to make plans for tonight."

"I'll hold you to that, Detective."

Alex watches Olivia walk into the wind. The business card is thick in her hands. Turning it around she reads, 'Special Victims Unit'.


	3. Falling

Inside the confining space of the car, both partners sit lost in their thoughts. Olivia looks at Elliot and knows what he's thinking. He's thinking about his family and how they would be affected by what he sees everyday. How to keep them safe from the evils of the world even though he knows he can't. She looks at the worry lines on his face how they are permanently etched on his face. She must have them to she's not getting any younger.

"So who was that?" Elliot takes his eyes of the road for a second to look at his partner. She's sitting slumped down on the passenger side looking out the window.

"Alex." She says in a dreamy state.

"Is it serious? That kiss was," he shakes his head, "out of this world."

She laughs at him. Olivia loves how he can take a serious moment and turn it around into a joke. Through the years they've formed a partnership that cant be broken no matter what.

"I don't know, El. That was our first kiss." Looking out the window again she goes back to the image of the kiss. It felt so wonderful to be in her arms, to have her so close. 

"Really?" She nods. He looks at her like she's crazy but doesn't say anything. Elliot knows all about her failed relationships or flings with people. How no one can't see what a precious person this woman is never ceases to amaze him. People are blind.

"We might go out to dinner tonight. It will be our first date if I can get some time off from this case."

"Good for you, Liv. You deserve it. She's completely gorgeous. I always knew you were a sucker for the blonde, blue eyed babes."

She smiles at him. She is a sucker for the blonde, blue eyed babes no reason to deny it. But now she has to stop thinking about Alex and go into her detective mode. The rare moment where they discuss their life is over.

"So what's the break in the case?"

With that question he knows that her walls are back up. The walls so thick that it takes a special kind of person to bust through them break them down with a force that would probably blind her. With a long, heavy sigh he fills her in on the new leads. He goes over what the ME found, the partial print found and a small hair follicle found on the recent victims body. She mentally memorizes all of these details just like she's done on all the other cases she's worked. The ones that haunt her when she closes her eyes at night. She sends a small prayer up to skies hoping that tonight she could get some sleep.

The images of the torn and tortured bodies fill up Olivia's mind as she obsesses over the crime scene photos. The mangled body of the victim laying in filth, her face so innocent and pure. She didn't ask for this. No one does. How many loved ones did she leave behind? How many will grieve for her death, her sudden and cruel death? Olivia tosses the photos in disgust and looks at the clock. _7:57pm_

Alex hasn't called her since she gave her the business card. Olivia is positive the blonde found what she does. How she sees things people sometimes never dream of or only see in horror movies and think it's sick. It is sick and its very much real for Olivia. She doesn't really blame Alex if she doesn't call. She's used to it.

She sits at her desk obsessing over the case again. As much as it disgusts her to see something so young die a terrible way, it's her job. Who else is going to seek justice for the victims? Page after page, paragraph after paragraph she reads it over and over memorizing it. She's in so deep she doesn't hear the squad room door swing open or the young woman speaking to Munch asking where Olivia Benson is.

When Munch comes over and taps her on the shoulder she visibly jumps. With an irritated look she asks what he wants. Munch tells her someone is looking for her. Prying herself from the case she stands up and makes her way towards an empty interrogation room. 

She opens the door to see Alex sitting there with a bag of take out. She smiles, no one has ever done that for her.

"Hey."

"Hey, thought you could use some food. Sorry I didn't call. I saw that I was close to your precinct and decided to drop by instead. Is that ok?" She was talking fast, obviously nervous at being there. She looks up to see Olivia smiling her. She's definitely has done more of that since Alex told her to smile more.

Pulling Alex into a tight hug she expresses her joy of having her there. "Thank you, Alex. No one has ever done this for me. Though I wish we were going out to dinner somewhere nice instead of here."

"It's ok. We have plenty of time to go out later. You need to eat and go back to work." She says it in a sincere playful way. All the Detective could do is give her a kiss and hug her tighter.

Softening the grip she has on the blonde, Olivia looks into her eyes and is mesmerized by the understanding she sees in them. She kisses her again on the lips, on the cheek, trails kisses across the blondes jaw and close to her ear. With one last kiss behind Alex's ear Olivia whispers, "I think I'm falling for you Alex Cabot."

Alex body shivers as she feels the Detectives hot breath on her. She's falling for her to. "Me to."


	4. Confessions

Warning: The rating goes up here just to be on the safe side I am also adding this warning. If you don't like it you can skip it and move to the next little section in this chapter. Thank you for reading my story.

_Two weeks later…_

The autumn winds have turned into a winter chill. The trees are now bare, the normal soft edges of a tree gone looking at them you see they rough edges and the sharp points of it's tree limbs. The budding relationship between both women is moving slowly with talk of getting to know each other better. On a rare day off for Olivia she sits in Alex's apartment staring out the window. 

"What are you thinking?" Alex already knows when something is on her mind. Treading on egg shells with the Detective has never been an option for her.

"How perfect this is. How perfect it feels. Here being with you." Olivia places her hand on the cool glass an instant fogs forms around it leaving an imprint.

"Have you ever been in love before?" She's asked this question to Olivia once but never got an answer.

"No."

Alex goes over to the window where Olivia sits staring out of it. Olivia moves so the blonde can sit on her lap to be closer to her. Placing her pale hand next to the imprint on the glass, Alex waits till the fog imprints her own. When it does she looks into rich brown eyes leans in and whispers, "There's always a first for everything."

Olivia looks at the window to see the two overlapping hands. She's never felt like that, to be loved by someone she barely knows. Wrapping her arms around the slender waist she kisses Alex's shoulder. Whoever told Olivia that love is defined by a single moment wasn't lying. All the failed relationships will never compare to the one she has with Alex. She thinks that Alex has spoiled her for any future relationships but she doesn't care. At the moment she only wants to be with the beautiful blonde stranger who walked into her life one fateful morning at the park.

That night their emotional connection turned into a physical one as Olivia took Alex to bed for the first time. Soft sighs, moans and whimpers fill the endless hours of the night as they both taste and map each other out. Alex's creamy thighs wrap around Olivia's waist as she thrusts deeper into the blonde taking her over the edge and into oblivion. Olivia's name being repeated into her ear as a quivering blonde regains some composure from her release is enough to bring Olivia to her own release. Arms trembling from holding her weight give out as Olivia falls on the blonde. Two curvaceous bodies fitting into one.

Alex pulls back Olivia's bangs from her face so she look into the brown eyes that weaken her defenses. It's unbelievable that someone could do this to her. Brown eyes look into her blue and the trust that she never had for someone is completely there as well as the detectives weight filling her making her whole. Alex smiles when she feels Olivia gyrate her hips into her. Falling into the old age rhythm she comes again. Raking her nails through the rippled muscles of the Detectives back she cries out her name as well as a litany of swear words. Tightening her thighs around Olivia she brings her closer and it's Olivia who cries out this time.

"Alex…Alex…Alex…"

"I've got you, Liv."

"I love you, Alex."

The winter snow danced as Olivia and Alex watched them fall quietly to the ground. The pale light of the moon shining through the open window, caressing the skin of both lovers as they lay in each others arms. Olivia looked down at the blonde and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

"What?"

"Nothing. You're beautiful."

A rosy tint crept its way up Alex's neck and cheeks. "Flattery will get you no where, Detective."

"It won't but it's definitely a good start. You always blush when I call you beautiful."

Alex brought her lips to Olivia's in a deep kiss. As it grew in passion, Alex had never heard no one call her beautiful the way the brunette said it. Olivia's eyes held the truth of the word and her voice in awe, almost worshipping, as she whispered the sensual word. Beautiful.

"I love you, Liv."

Catching the breath the blonde had stolen from her she looked into the deep blue eyes to seek out the truth. Seeing nothing but tenderness and love, Olivia held her closer, because she to confessed her love for Alex in the throws of passion. Remembering the way Alex held her when she jumped into the abyss of passion brought a small tear to her eye. Wiping it away she responded, "Me to, Alex, me too."

In the warm bed, Alex was claimed by sleep first as she lay her head on Olivia's shoulder, warm arms wrapped around her body. Brown eyes scanned the naked body on hers, watching the rise and fall of the body on hers brought her a peace she never knew. After what seemed forever, Olivia finally succumbed to sleep.

The sound of the shrieking phone made her restless in her sleep and she knew she had to pick it up because there was another victim. Another tortured soul somewhere needing their help even though sometimes they couldn't provide it. The only thing they could provide for those hopeless cases was to give false hope. Lie.

Carefully not trying to disturb the woman in her arms she picked up the phone.

"Benson."

Hearing the details on the phone from Elliot she gave another long sigh. It was going to be a long day, a long day away from Alex. Giving directions to the blonde's apartment she lay back down onto the bed for a few minutes. Needing to get up and get ready to leave she got up trying not to disturb her.

Alex stirred at the noise and movements going on inside her bathroom and bedroom. Stretching, she was met with cold emptiness instead of the warm body that was holding her as she slept.

"You have to go?"

"Yes, baby, I'm so sorry. Trust me I would rather be in your arms and bed right now."

"It's ok, Liv. Just promise to call me."

"Promise." Kissing Alex one last time she stepped out into the cold night and into the waiting car.

They made their way silently across the sleeping city to the crime scene. Both Detectives lost in their own heads. The quietness was comforting to them both but Elliot broke it when he asked a question as they neared the scene.

"Made that girl of yours a woman?" He teased lightly. He knew that Olivia's relationship with Alex was slowly growing.

Olivia gave him a knowing smile. The car came to a stop in front of a yellow tape barrier.

As they got out Olivia gave a reply to his earlier question.

"By the way, Elliot, Alex is already a woman. I just made her whole."

It has been a long day filled with pain and interviews. Every person they spoke to about their newest victim got a pained expression when they broke the news of her passing. Maybe it wasn't so much that she passed away, though that should be enough, but the manner that she went. No one dreams of having such a pained death. Everyone wishes to pass in sleep. To leave in peace and cross the eternal path in peace. But we all can't be so fortunate.

The sun fell behind the grey buildings as vibrant colors lit up the sky, Olivia stood at the window looking out. The station was empty except for a few lingering bodies ready to leave the days terrors behind. The golden hue coming through the dirty barred window danced across her features and lit up her skin.

The sound of a door opening interrupted Olivia; she was met with a blue eyed stare as the blonde held open the heavy wooden door.

"You forgot to call."

"I'm sorry. Elliot and I have been running around the city all day." 

Alex nodded and walked closer to Olivia. She held out her arms, an invite for a warm embrace. Olivia quickly moved into the waiting arms. The Detectives head on her shoulder as quiet sobs passed through her.

"Liv, are you ok?"

"No." 

"Why?"

"Because no matter what I do its never enough."

"Olivia what you do is enough." 

"No its not. I couldn't even help my own mother." 

Alex softly sighed and held Olivia. The tears of many painful memories wetting her shirt. But she didn't care.

"Why couldn't you help your mother?"

"I never caught her rapist, never knew his identity. She was drunk since I was born. I never knew why until she told me. She drank and drank, my once beautiful mother reeking of vodka. It was painful to see and I never knew why until she told me."

"What did she tell you?"

"I was so scared. Her eyes were blood shot red, words slurred. She was in another alcohol binge. But she didn't care, she told me the truth. After all those years she told me the truth of how I came to be. My existence."

Olivia lifted her head to look into the blue eyes. The once vibrant colors that lit up the sky were gone. Only the monotone of the dark blue painted the night. Olivia shared the feelings with the night, alone and only one color. A vastness of empty space.

"Tell me, Olivia." 

"I was a product of that rape. My face reminded her of him. She was drunk when she was raped, she was drunk my whole life, she was drunk when she died. She didn't die in peace. She died in her hell."


End file.
